The present invention relates to weight lifting machines and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to novel weight lifting machines and methods particularly for working the leg muscles whereby the user may quickly change between any desired angular orientation of the units relative to the floor.
Weight lifting apparatus are found in most every gym today. Free weights (e.g., bar bells, dumb bells, kettle bells, etc.) allow a user to perform a weight lifting exercise in their own personal style. If performed incorrectly, the user may injure themselves and it is therefore important the user receive instructions in proper lifting techniques when using free weights. A spotter may also be necessary. Fearing injury through incorrect technique with free weights, many people choose to use weight lifting machines which are ergonomically designed to assist the user in performing the correct weight lifting movement with more control. In weight lifting machines, the user is directed to move a component which connects to the weight such that the user is not holding or touching the weight directly as they do with free weights. Furthermore, weight lifting machines typically incorporate a mechanism allowing the user to quickly and easily switch between different amounts of weights as desired.
Weight lifting machines come in many different styles that are typically designed to work a specific muscle or muscle group (e.g., ham strings, quadriceps for the legs, and triceps and biceps for the arms). For working the leg muscles, there is a machine known as the leg press. In the leg press, the user moves their legs and feet while maintaining their torso in a stationary position. The user sits on a stationary seat and, with legs initially bent, pushes their feet against a moveable plate which connects to the weights (e.g., weight stacks or plate loaded). The feet push the foot plate away from the user's body until their legs are substantially straight. This movement lifts the weights by using the leg muscles. The user then moves their legs back to the bent position while controlling the return speed of the foot plate which also works the leg muscles. The movement is then repeated several times.
Another type of machine for working the leg muscles is known as the hack squat. In this style of machine, the user moves their legs and torso while the feet remain stationary. The user stands on a stationary platform and starts in a position with the knees bent (a squatting position). A moveable, padded shoulder brace is connected to the weights and the brace is positioned directly above and touching the user's shoulders. The user then begins to straighten their legs (as one would do when moving from a squatting to a standing position) causing their shoulders to press against and lift the shoulder brace which hence also lifts the weights. Once the legs are substantially straight, the user squats down again while controlling the lowering of the weights via the shoulder brace, and repeats this movement several times.
In either machine described above, the user's body is at a fixed angle relative to the floor and the only custom adjustment available is the amount of weight being lifted and the ability to change the beginning angle of the legs by adjusting the distance between the foot plate/shoulder brace with the seat/platform, respectively. With the body always at the same angle relative to the floor, the same muscle fibers will be worked by an amount correlated to the selected amount of weight. Given the same machine and weight, changing the body angle relative to the floor will change the user's center of gravity which in turn will change the working dynamics of the leg muscles. It would therefore be desirable to have a leg press and hack squat where the user's body angle relative to the floor may be selectively changed as desired.